Ballistic missiles often include a flight vehicle and at least one propulsion stage coupled to the flight vehicle. Such ballistic missiles are often stored in a launch canister for loading into a launch tube of a launch system, or a launcher. A “round,” a launch canister and a ballistic missile, often has a specific and inflexible weight requirement resulting from “load-out” capabilities of the launch system or of the armament or vehicle where the launch system is located, such as on a warship. The round weight requirement is divided between the launch canister and the ballistic missile. The weight of the ballistic missile is driven by the amount of propellant and necessary componentry, such as actuators, while the weight of the launch canister is driven by the requirement for a thick and heavy launch canister developed to provide compensation for over-pressurization during missile launch or to restrain fire loads during a “hang-fire” or an accidental ignition.
The propulsion stage enables egress from a launch canister and launch system, movement away from the launch system, and movement towards a target. Use of a propulsion stage having multiple or clustered motor boosters enables additional control of such egress and movement. However, use of multiple boosters causes enlargement of an external profile of the propulsion stage, requiring additional propellant for launch and other maneuvers, thereby increasing the weight of the projectile. Accordingly, there is a need for a projectile having a propulsion stage with multiple motor boosters that enables a balance between the projectile's external profile and the total round weight.